FranNet is committed to honoring those who served their country and how it relates to our industry of franchising. In today’s blog edition, we out to find out why veterans make such good franchisee candidates. You’ve no doubt heard the phrase, “…a match made in Heaven,” now we’re going to explain why we think this quote applies to franchise operations and veterans.
You can’t investigate this issue without first establishing a key finding. That would be the similarities between franchise operations and the order and structure built into the military branches.
As we all know, a franchise is successful because the bedrock of its operation depends upon a defined set of principles and procedures that, when replicated, guarantee success. For our veterans and active duty personnel in the armed forces, this is referred to as a mission. A Gunnery Sergeant in the U.S. Marines might scream at his recruits, “It’s my way or the highway!” A franchise operations manual will state the same principle to its franchisees, only not as loudly. You get the drift.
Now let’s visit another fine example—training. One of the key advantages of franchising is the amount of training and support that goes into the development of franchisees and their respective franchises. In the military, you begin with basic training. In a franchise system, you may be required to attend their version of basic training in a ‘custom’ university setting. Both are examples of accelerated learning atmospheres where you’ll ramp up your knowledge of processes and procedures quickly. And we all know that the training doesn’t stop once you graduate from your basic course. The same goes for franchise support systems, all of which make ongoing education, training and support a key ideological framework.
No discussion about Veterans and franchising would be complete without referencing teamwork. If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “teamwork makes the dream work,” you’ll know that it applies to military training as well as franchise operations. Military organizational framework is built around troops, squads, platoons, regiments and even divisions of men and women. Franchises rely on the same framework of top-down leadership as in the military to ensure the success of their operations. To be successful, you must follow orders correctly. From the franchisor to the franchisee and from the franchise owner to their employees.
The remaining similarities are no less obvious. The ability to thrive under pressure is a suitable quality in both a soldier and a franchise owner. Just the same, neither are strangers to long hours, hard work and a payoff for effort at the end of the day. Lastly, discipline will always win the day for either example. The military and our veterans depend upon it and our franchise brands demand it.
Here are some statistics that speak to Veterans and small business ownership: From the 2012 U.S. Census—it states that approximately 2.5 million businesses were veteran-owned. Over 21.8 million veterans in the U.S. represent nine percent of all business owners.
Franchising itself is a successful business platform for the nearly 2.5 million U.S. armed forces personnel–either active or reserve duty. The same report details that approximately one in seven U.S. franchises are owned by veterans. There must be a compelling reason somewhere…
If you or someone you know is a Veteran looking to establish a business foothold in civilian life, come talk to the experts at FranNet. We’ll pair you up with a qualified representative who both lives and works in your area to discuss your options. Don’t forget – teamwork makes the dream work.
Let’s get started on yours…
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